Empires
File:Faction-model.png|Terran Republic|link=#Terran Republic File:Faction-model.png|New Conglomerate|link=#New Conglomerate File:Faction-model.png|Vanu Sovereignty|link=#Vanu Sovereignty In PlanetSide 2, the empire the player decides on means a lot more than just what color armor they would be wearing. Each of the three iconic empires has access to unique weapons and weapon attachments, vehicles, abilities and more. In choosing an Empire, the player is really choosing a play-style that will mold their character throughout their entire life time. Terran Republic Loyalty until Death, Strength in Unity! With a militaristic government, the Terran Republic uses its Imperial authoritarian might to impel humanity to peaceful coexistence through any means necessary. The Terran Republic is a conservative, authoritarian, collectivist nation who strives to regain contact with the homeworld and reunite the warring factions. Colors Black and Red Description The Terran Republic is built around order and the rule of law, with the central tenant that no individual is above the rules. Loyalty and fealty are core to the Terran Republic ethos and from that grows a spirit of total camaraderie and brotherhood amongst its proud and mighty warriors. The Terran Republic has been the single political force on Earth since the Armistice and the formation of the new Government. They had set up an open and transparent Government that kept the peace for nearly two hundred years. Much of their history is embedded in the Great War and not just its resolution but for all the centuries following. It was under the banner of the Terran Republic that humans reached for the stars and eventually landed on Auraxis. More so than any other empire, the TR are a professional military, they are the most synergistic of the teams and benefit the most from numbers and coordination. A well drilled squad of Terran Republic troops is one of the most fearsome and deadly forces you’ll ever meet on the battlefields of Auraxis. Notable quote regarding the New Conglomerate "We're stuck out here at the ass-end of space and these insurgents decide that now is the time to wage senseless political battles. The fact they're willing to endanger civvies to further this power grab shows their true disregard for everyone's safety out here. They need to be eliminated, or we'll never know peace on Auraxis." Notable quote regarding the Vanu Sovereignty "They might have been human once, but not anymore. Whether it's their crazy alien-god bullshit or something more insidious, humanity has become little more than an obstacle to those freaks. You see your own brother hooked up to Vanu tech, you take him out - you're not family anymore. To him, you're just human rabble that needs to be 'enlightened'." Vehicles & Weapons Their weapons and vehicles are top of the line, shining and new, but conventional. They eschew experimental ordinances and energy weapons, preferring to stick with what has worked for hundreds of years – accurate, high velocity bullets, and lots of them. Terran Republic weapons have the fastest firing rates, largest ammo capacities, and are generally designed to allow for maximum sustainable damage. On the vehicles side, the Terran Republic has two unique empire vehicles, the Mosquito fighter jet and the Prowler battle tank. The Mosquito is an extremely agile attack aircraft, which can be outfitted with a variety of weapon systems to suit the needs of the republic, and has the fastest top speed of any air vehicle allowing it to quickly disengage from a sticky situation and regroup. The Prowler is a medium tank that is not only the fastest empire specific tank on the field but it can be armed to the teeth with extra weapon systems beyond the other empires medium tanks, making it one of the deadliest vehicles in the game. New Conglomerate Traitors. Rebels. Terrorists. These are words often associated with the New Conglomerate, However, to many the New Conglomerate is something else entirely: Heroes. Freedom Fighters. Protectors. A loosely connected group of rebel factions and idealistic freedom fighters, the New Conglomerate fights against the hegemony of the Terran. The New Conglomerate is a separatist faction determined to remain free of the controlling and domineering Republic. They feel that any form of control is oppression and that a miserable free man is better off than a contented slave. Colors Blue and Gold Description Passionate in their beliefs against authority, these “freedom fighters” are you average man from your average life. With no hardcore, intense by-the-book study or military training, these individuals are the opposite of the Terran Republic. The New Conglomerate value freedom above all else and see anything that encroaches upon freedom as an affront to their fundamental rights. Originally founded by some of the most powerful corporations on Earth as a political entity working against some of the restrictive policies of the Terran Republic the New Conglomerate’s “spirit of opposition” has only increased in the intervening centuries. The original founders were members of three groups that ultimately came together into one conglomerate. The primary group was the executive level businessmen that ran the powerful companies back on Earth and Terran colonies. They were sent to the other side of the universe to exponentially increase company profits and run the new businesses on this side of the universe. Of course, they couldn’t be expected to perform the hard labor themselves, so they brought along the civilian workforce. These civilians were paid to join the mission to build new cities, factories and more. Once they were done they were supposed to return to Earth to collect their creds. The final group members are the mercenaries, both highly paid and highly dangerous. They were brought along with the sole purpose of protecting the businessmen. Now an empire in their own right they are in total open war with both the Terran Republic and the Vanu Sovereignty, seeking to free humanity from the tyrannical grip of the former, and defend them from the fanatical alien influence of the later. Since the start of hostilities, the unpredictable and ruthless tactics employed by the insurgent N.C. have allowed them to gain significant ground against the seemingly overwhelming T.R. military. Their methodology is to achieve victory by any means necessary and they are not afraid to use experimental weaponry, guerilla tactics or unconventional warfare if the need arises. Notable quote regarding the Terran Republic "This whole mess comes down to a bunch of military despots being unwilling to let go of the reigns of power. We're not going to live under TR dictatorship any longer, and we'll fight them to the last man to show it. We won't stop until the people can control their own destinies; we'll live our lives, run our businesses, and raise our families - without the constant oversight of men with guns.” Notable quote regarding the Vanu Sovereignty "Seems like they've forgotten that it wasn't too long ago we were all in the same boat. Unfortunately their fanaticism has become dangerous. Frankly, their "convert or else" attitude reminds me of the goddamned TR. There's no place for the Vanu Sovereignty in a free world, because they refuse to respect my right to tell them to fuck right off." Vehicles & Weapons While they’re not blessed with the infinite resources of the Terran Republic, the N.C. have managed to build up enormous reserves of weapons, armor and vehicles which they keep well maintained. Their equipment might not be the prettiest on the battlefield, but the N.C. philosophy is that as long as it shoots straight or can take a pounding that’s what really counts. This gives them access to an incredibly diverse range of weapons and gadgets to help get the job done. The Blue and Gold are built around hitting first, hitting hardest and taking a beating. Although their weapons might not have the most finesse (often having strong kick, long reload times, and slower firing rates) they do pack a hell of a punch. The empire specific vehicles, the Reaver attack fighter and Vanguard medium battle tank pack on more armaments and armor as well as abilities that allow them to stay in battle longer than the other empires equivalents. While the N.C. vehicles excel in durability and sheer firepower, their trade off is in mobility and speed. Vanu Sovereignty A technocratic faction that believes humanity can only evolve by rediscovering and tapping the lost technology of the Vanu. The Vanu Sovereignty are a transhumanist cult of academics, intellectuals, and technology worshippers who believe that human destiny lies in the further development and exploitation of the alien technology. Colors Purple and Teal Description The last of the Empires to form as well as the last to join the war, the Vanu believe the only way to save the world that Vanu once ruled, in order for humanity to reach its full potential, they needed to take up arms and destroy both the other Empires. They have been called “Religious nut jobs”, “Techno-evangelist”, and a “Trans-humanist Cult.” The Vanu Sovereignty would find those terms to be dismissive and born of ignorance. They are what we would call true believers. Philosophically religious, the Vanu are often mistaken for zealots. However, you won’t find a Vanu shouting “Praise Vanu!” after every kill. Calm and often considered to be passionless, they have removed the chaos of war from their subsistence and adopted a superior, paternal and condescending view of the rest of their “lost brothers and sisters”. Viewing themselves as the true seekers of freedom through enlightenment they will do whatever it takes to bring the light of Vanu back to the world. The V.S. firmly believes that technology and knowledge hold the answers to all of mankind’s problems. It has been said that “The Ancients” (the ones that actually created the tech that the V.S. use) have shown them the way. They believe that they have been “blessed” with the gift of technology and power to “smite those that stand against the pursuit of knowledge and power”. The V.S. also believes that everyone should have the freedom to believe in the ancients just as they do. The founders of the V.S. were, and to some extent still are, scientists. They are of the belief that humans are still evolving and are capable of being so much more than just soldiers or miners. It was the Terran Republic that insisted that everyone trust that man was wise enough to solve all the problems that plagued humanity. The V.S. thought them to be fools and stated “How can they possibly believe that they can achieve that goal without embracing the technology of the Ancients?” The ‘Ancients’ gave the Vanu Sovereignty “a gift” according to their leaders. The V.S. leaders even quoted great men from the past to further fuel their ideology. Men of science and literature were cited for their cause. Quotes predicting the coming of the inevitable ascension of mankind were found in V.S. scripture. Einstein, one of their best and brightest, once said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” Another was cited, “Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson. These were wise men of their time that were forward thinking enough to embrace knowledge. Progression is inevitable, why does the Terran Republic want to try to stifle it? Notable quote regarding the Terran Republic "We would welcome our lost brothers and sisters, if only they would listen to reason. The TR has never been adept at listening. We must now fulfill humanity's destiny here on Auraxis and bring this world back into the light of Vanu. Only then will the unbelievers understand their folly - and only then that we will take the next step toward our ascension. Nothing will stand in our way." Notable quote regarding the New Conglomerate "Freedom is their warcry, yet they shackle themselves to irrelevant concepts like 'government' and 'business' that only serve to enslave them in the end. True freedom lies in understanding the will of Vanu, for the shackles that burden humanity are only broken in enlightenment. We will show them." Vehicles & Weapons The Vanu Sovereignty took advantage of the alien tech, embraced evolution and change and has “received” the offering of knowledge and power from the ancients. The phrase “Technology equals Might” can be seen in action and demonstrated in the Vanu Sovereignty’s medium battle tank, The Magrider. This awesome specimen of supreme technology levitates over all terrain types with ease. The Magrider can be equipped with a wide variety of powerful energy weapons. The basic Magrider weaponry starts with the Heavy Rail Beam as the primary weapon. The HRB creates a focused blast of pure energy that penetrates even the heaviest of armor. The secondary that can be equipped on the Magrider is the Pulsed Particle Accelerator. The PPA rapidly launches orbs of plasma that are capable of melting armor and, of course, flesh. The use of the ancients’ technology has given them the ability to create some powerful weapons for use on the battlefield. The Heavy Rail Beam and Pulsed Particle Accelerator are a testament to the wonders of the Ancient tech. We have only begun to see what an astounding array of applications this power can yield. Ancient tech has also been used to create more personal weaponry. The sidearm of choice for most V.S. soldiers is the Beamer. The V.S. has developed self charging cells that power this light weight firearm. The Beamer is extremely accurate and produces little to no recoil. All V.S. weapons benefit from the lack of a concussive round. The draw back to having this high accuracy is the degradation of potency over distance. While conventional weapons have bullet drop, V.S. weapons suffer from a reduction in power over distance traveled. The Vanu Sovereignty manned flight vehicle, the Scythe rules the sky with maneuverability and agility. It uses the magnetic field of the planet Auraxis to move in ways other conventional aircraft can not. The Terran Republic has their Mosquito, the New Conglomerate has the Reaver and the V.S. has the Scythe. The Ancients' technology will be pitted against the human’s inventions on the battlefield and it is yet to be seen which side will emerge victorious.